Parrot in the Jungle

Description

Handmade using white earthenware clay and decorated using a combination of coloured engobe slips (liquid clay that will fire and stick onto the body of the pot without the need of being covered with glaze) and oxides. Finished using a combination of an earthenware gloss glaze, (coloured or transparent) and unglazed areas which are sometimes waxed. I rolled out a sheet of clay, cut out the tile and added the border using a wooden printing block. I then sketched out my design, cut out paper resist shapes and started decorating. The parrot and the flowers have been glazed and the border has been glazed using a copper oxide gloss glaze. My inspiration came from birds and their symbolic meaning to create a narrative of positivity and joy.

This tile design came from the parrot that carries a message of celebration. It can symbolise beauty within and around you. The parrot can also represent the good things that are happening now and those that are yet to be. I placed the parrot in the jungle because to me it represents belonging, roots, a home.